


Sleepy Escapees

by Nezanie



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/F, a dash of cloud, benches next so vending machine and a sleepy aerith means cuddling aerti times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27286363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezanie/pseuds/Nezanie
Summary: Fleeing from Midgar seemed like the only solution at the time, the remains of Avalanche with Cloud, Nanaki and Aerith in tow had known the risk from the moment they climbed up to the Shinra Headquarters but they would not sacrifice anyone else especially not Aerith.The girl who was looking at the clouds in the clear blue sky as if the whole thing would fall down and crush her. Tifa seems to notice the hidden parts of her and it scares her a little but the gentle brawler’s persuasion to rest might be in good faith. For once in her life, Aerith decides to take the helping hand.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Kudos: 32





	Sleepy Escapees

**Author's Note:**

> I just thought the remake benches make for a cute sleepy girlfriends scene but I can't draw so here's a fanfic

The sky outside of Midgar is a vast, blue canvas streaked white with spots of clouds. The familiarity of the plate’s lamps was gone with the real, scorching sun and at night it would be replaced by the pale moon’s vigilant glow. It was all so new and terrifying that it was starting to be difficult to keep the smile on her face; it was heavy and made her cheeks burn with the effort. 

She didn’t mind the stars that much, they came out to play, twinkling on a Black sky that reminded her of her garden. A sea of glowing specks that she could reach out to pluck but would never quite reach.

‘I never thought I would have such carefree romantic thoughts.’ 

The steel sky she was used to was a glum, rusted grey umbrella that was old and she couldn’t quite part with it with a new one. Aerith liked to count on her knowledge of things and outside of Midgar she knew nothing. The dirty looking plate was much less scary to her, it was home. It made her feel safe no matter how regressive the kind of progress humanity was dealing with, the people living in the slums where the folks that would never give up.

Aerith would tend to the flowers in her cozy church a little ways from her home sector, spy a Turk observing her from the shadows of a dark alleyway and roll her eyes with a smile gracing her lips and a myriad of plans to give them a bit of a difficult time in following her. The mirth she’d derived from teasing the Shinkansen special ops was indescribable. Giving them the slip had become second nature, she knew what to expect from them.

‘They  _ did  _ make their move in the end.’ She looked at her trembling hands and back towards the strange horizon in front of her. The world beyond Midgar had so many colours in it that her head was already spinning taking it in. 

“It’s cruelly beautiful,” she whispered, catching her companions off guard. Aerith gulped, stepped forward and waved amiably at their dumbstruck stance. With a laugh she encouraged them towards the next step of their journey feigning courage she didn’t actually possess. Aerith halted one last time, for one last look at the bleak grey city of Midgar.

‘I wonder if Mother will be lonely, the flowers would keep her company until our return, I’m sure. I can’t help but worry a bit.’ She sighed and turned to the remaining members of Avalanche and their trusty ex-Soldier, Cloud. A glimpse of the impossible stilled the very air in her lungs.

‘It couldn’t be!’ She thought, pressing her knuckles into her eyes, the sun’s rays made her blink against it’s irritating glare. It felt like there was dirt lodged in and when her vision cleared Aerith could only glimpse the vast empty land around Midgar and her friends.

‘Maybe I’m just thinking about him because it’s the same road he once traveled on…’ 

Her eyes landed on Cloud’s back, his silhouette from behind might have been reminiscent at first but now it looked much smaller. The long, wide sword on his back, the same uniform and the clumsy cool guy act he couldn’t quite pull off.

‘No, Cloud’s his own person. They’re nothing alike but, I think, they could’ve been good friends if they ever met.’ The thought made her feel giddy.

“Aerith?” Long, slender fingers, grabbed her shoulder and the tips of a second set pressed against her dirty cheek. “You’re lagging behind, are you hurt? We did just finish up a tournament of fights.”

Tifa’s worried look was starting to become part of her sense of familiarity that reassured her on the spot.

“Just a little tired!” She couldn’t help the cheeky smile as she entwined their fingers and swung their arms about. Feigning the happy go lucky attitude was second nature. Aerith skipped along pulling the shocked brawler - who yelped rather shakily - to where the boys were waiting.

Tifa eventually let out a laugh after another - a string of unbroken, liberated peels off joy - Aerith felt that perhaps with all the stress and drowning fear surfacing from amidst the gloom and doom of the last few hours all their reactions might have been exaggerated. It was simply freeing to be alive.

The next town would be in sight within a few more hours of traipsing through the grassy terrain they found themselves in. There had been nothing but dust, rocks, a few weeds and the scorching sun they couldn’t take shelter from just outside Midgar. The change made them take a breath of relief.

The monsters were as relentless as Shinra’s platoons in their pursuit, so much so that they wondered if their beasts could be bribed to follow and annoy them. The sheer will to survive after all the death flags they’d overturned was what kept them going.

Aerith found herself blinking and taking in a completely different scenery every now and then. She couldn’t tell when she had started spacing out but the realisation made her aware of how she’d soon need to find a way to physically keep her eyes open. 

As the party moved on, Tifa gravitated towards their healer and was pretty sure Aerith had not noticed the gloved hands pulling her sleeve and keeping her moving in the right direction. 

She couldn’t blame her. Tifa herself had to close her own gaping mouth as her eyes steeped over their surroundings. It was like showing about a child in a candy shop, every now and then she’d tilt her head to take in the clear sky that was now starting to be painted orange from the setting sun and sigh happily. Only a few puffy, sheep like clouds flew by. It was honestly a nostalgic, welcome sight for Tifa and she couldn’t wait to greet the stars. Surely away from Midgar’s artificial lights they would glow as splendidly as in her childhood.

Tifa caught Aerith’s wobble and her hand shot out to stop her from overstepping and slipping. 

“T-Thanks!” She said, her usual energetic replies seemed like a far off memory.

Tifa put on her best smile hoping they’d get to civilization sometime soon. She was beginning to feel like her joints were creaking intensely putting to shame a rusty old tractor from the slums. 

‘Aerith looks so pale, her skin might be moonlight,’ She gently entwined their arms and guided her towards the ex-Soldier.

“Come on Aerith, let’s catch up to Cloud,” she coaxed.

Aerith absentmindedly nodded, her eyes staring far off into the horizon beyond her friends. Tifa felt the need to hurry up like a jolt of thunder throughout her aching body.

“Aerith?”

“Huh? OH! Right, yes!” She responded with a grin and laughed it off. Tifa had to pull her along for the true meaning of her words to click in Aerith’s mind.

…

‘Is that what I think it is?’ Tifa wiped her eyes from the dirt and sweat, forced them as open as she could and hoped with all her might it wasn’t a hallucination induced by fatigue and the heat.

“Cloud?” She called earnestly pointing towards the structure coming into view just before them.

Cloud raised his head and those haunted shimmering, Mako green-blue eyes slowly directed themselves to take a look at Tifa's discovery. They widened just as much as the brawlers and he nodded with a sheepish grin replacing the grumpy look he had sported since they left Midgar.

The presence of Sephiroth had become a looming storm hovering upon them. It gnawed from the inside with a mixture of confusion, fear and denial. Only one thing was certain: a monster unlike any other the world had ever witnessed had come back to taunt them. Worst of all was the connection he seemed to share with Cloud and Aerith.

‘The way Cloud speaks of the past, it would make sense if he knew of that Soldier. Maybe  _ he  _ told him,’ Tifa shook her head. Nothing made sense, she felt out of the loop knowing that there was a missing piece of the puzzle of the events that had unfolded, a puzzle which refused to be put in place without it.

‘It’ll have to wait,’ she concluded, peeking backwards at their healer’s wobbling figure. She had been holding onto the back of Tifa’s shirt for the past hour or so, moving with rhythmic, routine steps and following the other’s without a thought.

The heavens seemed to have finally taken pity on her party of three with the outline of the building coming into shape as they got closer and closer. The roads created by civilization welcomed them kindly back into the world of humankind once more.

“It’s a fuel station,” Cloud announced with a deadpan tone perusing the buildings and vehicles parked with a quick look. ‘No sign of anybody we might know. Good.’

“Yes!” Tifa cried, placed her arm around Aerith’s waist and gave a scolding look in Cloud’s general direction, “The same stations built for travelers to eat, rest, resupply and basically survive outside of the cities and towns. How annoying for it to appear and save our ass, right, Cloud?”

Cloud took a defensive step back from the bristling anger of his childhood friend. He coughed in his fist and nodded.

“I s-suppose we ought to rest,” he said agreeably.

“We  _ have  _ to, Aerith’s at her limit and we aren’t doing much better,” she scoffed. Cloud took a second step away mumbling something as he picked up his phone about calling the rest of the gang.

“I’m fine, it’s ok! We can leave as soon as we get what we need sorted out. We don’t know if Shinra has given up on us yet and getting to the next town before nightfall would put some distance between us,” Aerith protested, reacting to her own name being called. Her weight shifted away from Tifa’s body whom she had been leaning on. Her eyes fluttered weakly, semi-closed and glazed over, she was obviously struggling to keep them open.

“That’s not gonna happen,” Tifa didn’t have to lower her voice much for the remark to go unnoticed. “Aerith, frankly we’re all pooped. We’ll get Cloud to scrounge up what we need after he’s done calling the gang, so we might as well sit down on that bench. I’m pooped so why not keep me a little company?”

Aerith opened her mouth to most likely protest but the quick wink Tifa gave her caught her off guard and soon with a push followed by another she was being effectively moved towards the benches by the vending machine. 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t help Cloud?” She murmured as Tifa pushed her shoulders down so she was made to sit.

Cloud joined them just at that opportune moment and shook his head.

“I’ll be quicker on my own. Not much to buy,” he shrugged, extending his hand to arrange Aerith’s bangs. “You two lovebirds relax. We’ve been away from each other far too long,”

Aerith laughed at how he shyly looked away while patting her head.

“I’ve missed you, too, silly,” she teased. He groaned taking off with a sprint and waved her off.

“Eh?! What about me?” 

Aerith was subjected to the full power of Tifa’s adorable pout. Tifa made a show of groaning, throwing herself at the other and hugging her tightly.

“That’s foul play,” Aerith commented leaning into the hug, “Of course I missed you two, lots and lots!”

Aerith stared at Cloud’s retreating figure whilst Tifa settled comfortably next to her by the vending machine.

“I think,” she said meekly, making Tifa frown at the way she was grabbing her arm so hard she made red stripes like a tiger’s pattern on her skin. She was barely stifling a yawn as she let her worry slip into her voice, “We really ought to help him,”

“He’s a big boy. Maybe a little awkward, a tad clumsy too, he’s still reliable enough to tackle a shopping list head on,” Tifa said, beckoning her closer with the wave of a hand.

Aerith slid to her side and allowed Tifa to take a hold of her hand, enjoying the electric feel whenever their body heat began to transfer between one another. She had always been a person to catch the chill easily and Tifa always seemed to be boiling and raring to go.

“Right,” she sighed, chewing on her bottom lip, “I guess I’m still on edge from the whole Shinra thing,”

Tifa raised her legs onto the bench leaning against the side of the vending machine, she pat the spot in front of her and smiled, “Come on,”

“Hmm?” Aerith placed a hand on the bare knee in front of her and with a quizzical look tilted her head and searched for an answer on Tifa’s face.

The brawler rolled her eyes, gently but swiftly rearranged Aerith to sit between her knees and pulled her close. 

“He’s bound to take his time, let’s catch up, I wouldn’t mind some private girl talk just you and I,” Tifa said softly, embracing her from behind and nuzzling into her neck, “Or if you prefer we could rest a little?”

Aerith remained silent, sitting with her hands on her lap like a prim and proper lady, she was all rigid and stiff. Tifa had to suppress a snort at seeing an unusually meek Aerith and pulled her backwards so they could lean more comfortably against each other. The scent of flowers had mingled with a medicinal stink and Tifa inadvertently squeezed the girl in her arms a little too strongly.

“I won’t disappear you know?” She laughed, wrapped protectively in strong, trained and reliable arms and legs acting as a blanket of human warmth.

Tifa hummed approvingly, caressing her hair amiably.

“I know, my head gets it but I think my heart is still a little in shock,” she replied, chuckling at the way Aerith pouted and snuggled into her chest, clutching at her clothes.

“Since when are you the shy type?” Tifa couldn’t help but tease.

“I can’t help it, I just...never got  _ this _ close to anybody since I was a kid. It’s more terrifying than the boundless sky,” she admitted, hiding her face in Tifa’s chest. A sniffle came from the hiding place in Tifa’s bosom. 

“You say some really unexpected things sometimes,” she murmured playing with the tip of Aerith’s braid. “For your information, I plan to stay in your life for long enough to get you out of that childish act of yours. We have to go on a shopping spree date don’t we?”

“With Cloud as our pack mule,” she giggled, holding onto the arm that was still wrapped around her. “You guys have a knack for finding me when I need you the most.”

They also had a knack for making her feel secure. Breathing in Tifa’s scent: a mixture of ash, booze and the softer, gentler perfume she used under the overpowering smell of the Seventh heaven ambiance, Aerith felt a little bit of her companions courage seeping through to her. The future looked brighter with the presence of her rowdy gang of misfits by her side.

“Well, I never broke a promise before Aerith and I don’t intend to start now. Don’t worry!” Tifa grinned and flexed her arm showing off pure muscle in a confident stand Aerith couldn’t feel completely herself. Aerith’s sad little smile had her heart squeeze painfully and she nuzzled into her hair taking in the scent of freshly grown flora. It always gave her the misty image of a freshwater lake in the midst of a lush forest. It was a little bit of a lonely sight…

“We’ll always find a way to your side. We love you Aerith,” she whispered feeling a blush painting her cheeks, “ _ I  _ love you,”

Her heartbeat turned from one to ten to hundred as she counted every pump of blood to try and calm her nerves. 

“Aerith?”

Light snoring answered her call and she was so caught by surprise a light set of titters escaped from her lips. 

_ ‘So much for feeling like a freaked out teen on her first date _ ,’ she thought nuzzling into the brunette,

“It’s funny, you’re a little devil full of energy when you’re up and about but the moment you’re asleep, it’s easy to see how you descend from some mystic line of humans,” Tifa coed, pressing a kiss against her temple. 

Aerith was a daredevil with a copious amount of luck and a strength to keep seeing the good in every situation she was thrust in. More exactly, that had been Tifa’s initial opinion, when in truth there were so many hidden layers to traverse that it made her head pound from the fact the ordeal at Shinra’s headquarters might just be the start of everything. 

_ ‘Like we’ve only just touched the surface beneath the ice,’  _ The thought made her stomach flip.

“Finally got her to sleep?”

Tifa winked in greeting at a burdened Cloud who shrugged with his hands full of bags with all kinds of preserved foods, hiking utensils and odd tools. She wondered if they’d need all that stuff if they’d be going from town to town.

“The others are on their way here,” Cloud announced, slipping the bags on the floor beside the bench, “And we’re officially broke,”

“How horrid,” she said jokingly, “We’ll have to pick some odd jobs in the next town,”

“Look what I also found,” he said rummaging through a paper bag with the grating crumpling sound until he fetched a couple of blankets. He threw the softest, fluffiest looking one on the two girls as Tifa exclaimed her excitement with a couple of whoops.

Cloud kneeled in front of Tifa’s thigh, leaning the back of his hand against the it and turning around only to peek at Aerith’s slumbering form and press a gloved hand against her cheek.

Tifa snorted the moment he jolted at the way the sleeping beauty scrunched up her nose and moved away. 

He coughed in embarrassment, “It’s good that she’s resting, nice going,”

“I’ve learned how to handle the troublemakers in our group of misfits by now. She’s as playful as she’s reserved, frankly speaking she’s too kind. Meddling and putting her nose in all sorts of risky business,” she murmured.

“It was bound to happen Tifa. They knew where she lived, helping Barrett's little one had nothing to do with her kidnapping,” Cloud said sternly.

“I know. I just worry,” she said trying to laugh it off but the sound caught in her throat.

“She said the same thing about you, you know. That you still need a hand now and then being sensitive and all that. Though she was more eloquent in her words,” he grumbled the last bit of his attempt to cheer her up.

“I can imagine, she’s good at reading people but horrible at taking care of herself. It’s frustrating,’ she groaned, grabbing the edges of the blanket and settling into a more comfortable position and embracing the tired out healer finding comfort in her body warmth. 

“She likes that about you. You know,” Cloud said in a tired out tone. Light snoring came from behind him as he sat with an arm on his knee and awaited the arrival of the other three.

_ ‘Maybe I said that a little too late,’  _ he sighed, staring straight ahead into the road. He was certain it would be a long journey for various reasons besides the impending loom of a resuscitated nightmare.


End file.
